Step 5 - prepare yourself
Advisers use a number of techniques to ensure that they are listened to and that the 'other side' can't just ignore them and hope they will go away.
- Whether you are speaking or writing to people, always try to be clear what you want and what you are expecting from them.
- If you are writing a letter, double check you’ve covered everything you want to. It is sometimes useful to have a friend check that you’ve made all your points clearly. What's in our minds isn't always what we've put down on paper.
- If you are speaking to someone, make notes of everything you want to cover during the conversation and tick them off as you go through.
HOT TIP!
At the end of the conversation repeat back anything you have agreed, particularly anything that they have agreed to do.
If you don't manage to do this, or you still don't entirely trust that they will do what they have promised, it's a really a good idea to send them a letter confirming what you agreed. The more you have in writing, the more evidence you'll have if you need to make a complaint.
"I had a tendency to get upset and lose my temper a bit when I tried to sort things out. I remember shouting at this woman at customer services when my computer broke. I hadn’t really worked out what I wanted to say, and ended up yelling about some pretty irrelevant stuff. It wasn't my finest moment, it was the company's fault not hers. Apart from being embarrassing, and stressful, it also made things worse! It made it hard to get my point across, generally confused the issue and made her less keen to help (understandably). Now, I try to be calm, write down what I want to say beforehand, and tell them clearly what the problem is I need their help with. It really works."
Asif, Birmingham
